Traditional mailbox is a passive device where mailman drops regular mails. The traditional mailbox can't handle any registered mail. Nor the traditional mailbox can accept special delivery. A registered mail/package will require one of the residents of the designated address to sign a receipt before the delivery person can release the package. During the daytime, if the residents of a household have to go to work or go to school and no one is home that presents problem for both the delivery person and the mail/package receiver.
According to statistics data the volume of online purchases will steadily increase and accounts for at least 20% of total domestic purchase by year 2005, which the estimated on-line transaction amount is around US$1.1 trillions. Most merchants use a third party carrier to deliver their goods to the purchasers and require proof of delivery. Therefore, the home delivery services either from Post Office, UPS, Federal Express, or other commercial carriers will increase considerably every year. However, the traditional mailbox will not be able to handle the up raising commercial trend.
Furthermore, the trend to order ready to eat food through online is also getting popular in the ever fasting pace society. More and more people order frozen and pre-warmed foods from food stores or supermarkets. So far the food delivery service faces the same situation as the registered package has that requires someone at home to receive the delivery. Of course, the traditional mailbox won't be able to store and preserve those foods in safe and fresh condition even if we prepaid the food.